After a discussion with my doctor, I was given samples of Lexapro. The Dr. told me to take 5mg a day. After the first three days I felt so drowsy and stopped taking the medication.
I was just wondering if anyone knew of any over the counter vitamins or supplements that are helpful for depression.
I'm on Lexapro too,and it does make you drowsy at first,but that does go away after you adjust (usually 2 weeks). I really like Lexapro a lot and take it before bed,but there are some vitamins/supplements that are supposed to help with depression...
-One is vitamin D3,but this will mainly only help if you are deficient in it.Most people are low in it though so it couldn't hurt.
-Fish oil,mainly Omega 3's have been shown to help with depression
-I have heard 5 HTP is supposed to really help,something to do with boosting serotonin,but I have not tried it personally.It is VERY important to note that if you are taking any antidepressant,you should NOT take 5 htp though as it can cause serotonin syndrome.
The Following User Says Thank You to WhenItRains For This Useful Post: ItsMyLife486 (04-02-2012)
Try Life Spark in the morning, Omega-3 in high doses, Melatonin prior to going to bed, or B-12. All of these are known to help with depression. Most doctors will recommend one or many of them if they realize that medication is not helping. I take my Lexpro in the morning with Life Spark, then take a melatonin sublingual soft-tab at night before bed. The Lexapro in the morning is not typical but, what can I say, it worked for me...
Melatonin is actually NOT recommended for people with depression.The bottle I had even had a warning saying it could make depression worse for some people.
Serotonin does the opposite of melatonin,so if you are taking Melatonin,then you are canceling out the Lexapro.Also,melatonin is not recommended for long term use.The bottle I had said not to take it more then a two week period.
Omega 3's are good for depression though because it supports serotonin function.
I have had my best successes conquering depression (10 years after original diagnosis) by consulting with a nutropath (??)
I filled out a lengthy questionnaire about my menses, my eating and sleeping habits, etc...She followed up with some questions, looked at a blood panel my general practitioner had done, then suggested I take or increase my intake of several vitamins.
B Vitamins kick depressions ***, and help burn fat, too(??)
Vitamin C
Iron or/herbal iron supplement are super helpful, too
And various other blends and mixes of herbal products
My nutropath is available by email 24 hours a day, and it rarely takes her more than a few hours to get back to me.
I was taking 200mg of Zoloft at it's peak, and while I was pregnant ("Don't worry, it won't cross the placenta," they said.) Well, they lied, and I am lucky my last child wasn't born with birth defects. Shortly after learning that Zoloft has been linked to birth defects, I took myself off (my daughter was 3), and started shooting from the hip.
If this is what you are considering, I highly recommend you talk it through with the health professionals in your life, be your own advocate, but I scared alot of people by not doing this the "right" way.
I still have bad days, but find they align with my menstrual cycle (so I give my hubby a heads up and it always works out fine), and the good days are way more frequent and way better than they have ever been!
